VOLKSWAGEN TEAMS WITH APPLE iPOD

250,000 VW Owners Offered $50 Gift Certificate for Listening

DETROIT (AdAge.com) -- Volkswagen of America starts national TV advertising tomorrow for its new venture with

iPods make entire digital music libraries available through the car stereo system.

Apple's iPod digital music player, according to the companies.

The ads will break during Major League Baseball's All-Star Game on Fox.

250,000 VW owners
The automaker is offering a free iPod to buyers of the 2003 hard-top Beetle. Roughly 250,000 current VW owners will get a $50 gift certificate to use on Amazon.com in exchange for test-driving the car with the iPod system.

The estimated $5 million blitz runs through September and includes local radio, newspaper and Web ads.